


And All's Well

by Sokorra



Series: Madison [5]
Category: Smash (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:42:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4160856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas at the Lynn-Wills household, 2014</p>
            </blockquote>





	And All's Well

Derek watched his daughter play with her new toys out of the corner of his eye while he annotated a new play he was working on. Lynn’s gift of a giant ball full of smaller balls seemed to fascinate her, and had kept her quite occupied. The only sounds he had heard for awhile had been Maddie’s occasional giggle and the sounds of Ivy in the kitchen.

Things were finally settling down for the lynn wills clan and he had a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. It had taken him over a year, but the offers to direct were returning thanks to his perseverance and the support of Eileen, Ivy and Karen. More importantly, though, was that his personal relationships were on the mend.

Eileen had been the first to forgive him. Perhaps it was because of their long friendship, or maybe she just saw in him an honest want to change, but she had forgiven sometime before the Tonys. Ivy forgave him next, and the publicity of his admission of love and the public appearances together seemed to make him more appealing to investors. Although, it was only after the fact that he even thought that, though he know Ivy hadn’t. It had been one of stumbling blocks in their relationship going forward. She wasn’t sure if he was with her because he finally felt able to commit to their relationship or if he was with her to help salvage his career. He tried to convince her of the truth, that he honestly wanted to be with her, but only time would ever mend her distrust of him.

Karen had taken a while longer to completely forgive him. After all, Ana had been her friend. And Jerry had not taken all to well to the Tony shenanigans.

The public at large seemed to have forgotten about him. Actresses still looked at him as if wondering if his actions were straightforward or not. Some even tried to take advantage of his history, but as of yet he had managed to maneuver around the few who did.

It wasn’t hard, especially when he had a living breathing reminder of what he could lose if he fell back into the same behaviors again. More than just a career, he could loose his family. He almost lost his friendships with Eileen, Karen and Ivy, and furthermore he could have lost any chance of being in Madison’s life.

It had only been a year, and he already couldn't imagine his life without the little girl in it. It hadn’t taken him long after learning Ivy was pregnant to realize the implications of what that meant towards that night she had asked to meet him at the club. He had become perilously close to never knowing his daughter.

Despite what the magazines had liked to say, it hadn’t been Ivy who had made him change his ways. Sure, what she had said to him that night, and again a few weeks later in his room had definitely made an impact, but he had wanted to change for himself. It had taken him a remarkably long time to catch on, but he had. And he had paid for it, though he knew it could have been much much worse if he hadn’t had such forgiving people in his life.

Here they were, a year and a half later and things were going pretty well. Ivy and he were back together, she had moved in not too long before Maddie had been born, and so far he had found the first year of official cohabitation not as bad as he had feared. Their relationship wasn't perfect, and it was still shaky at times. He had alot to make up for, to re-earn, and he had known going in that it would take awhile.

He flinched as the toy ball landed on the couch beside him, but smiled as he refocused his attention on Madison as she giggled. She hobbled in the manner of new walkers towards him, lifting her arms in the age old fashion of those wanting picked up.**** He, as usual, couldn’t resist her and lifted her up onto his lap.

“Good shot, honey.” Derek looked up to see Ivy standing in the archway into the kitchen smiling at Madison. “Although next time aim a little closer to his head.” Her amusement filled eyes met his, and a laugh burst out of her at his look.

“Don’t encourage her,” he joked back. “One day she’s actually going to hit me.”

“As long as I have my camera when she does,” Ivy said as she stood up. “Dinner’s almost ready. When is Karen coming?”

“She said about 6:30,” Derek maneuvered his hold on Maddie to look at watch “which is about 12 minutes from now.”

“Which means she’ll be here pacing in about 6.” Ivy commented. There was no malice in her words. The two women had come to a truce. They were friends, but he doubted either women would consider the other her best friend. They had put their pasts behind them, but those pasts still factored in. Ivy had gone along ways to healing the rift when she helped Jimmy out by having her father defend him in court, getting the troubled songwriter a shorter sentence. He had just been released on good behavior after a year of prison time. Although he now had some new ankle jewelry meaning he couldn’t leave the greater Manhattan area. Still, it was better than the several years of prison time he had been looking at.

Which was why Karen was coming over to their apartment for Christmas Dinner. With Jimmy geographically locked, she couldn’t go home for Christmas, so Ivy had invited her (and Jimmy) to join the three of them for dinner.

He had no idea if this was going to be the most awkward Christmas dinner or just in the top ten. There were too many awkward connections between them. However, Ivy was trying to heal the rift that he had put between them. Not long after they had gotten back together for their third and hopefully final time she had basically told him off for what she hadn’t realised at the time was playing the two women against each other.

He wasn’t sure if he was sorry or not for that. He was sorry it affected his relationship with Ivy, but on the other side it had them working harder for the role. He wisely kept his opinions to himself on that matter. The one time he had commented on it Eileen had nearly thrown her drink in his face.

Madison, clearly not likely attention away from her (she was her parent’s daughter after all), bopped her ball on Derek’s head, bringing Ivy to laughter again.

“Aim lower, kiddo,” she said, turning to go back into the kitchen. He had long been exiled, apparently ‘ruining’ her cooking. He hadn’t known she could cook as they rarely used their kitchen.

“Hey!” Derek called out in mock outrage before turning to smile at his daughter. “Don’t listen to mommy. Your aim is perfect.” The little girl smiled and then bopped him on the head again.

He sighed, glad the ball was soft.


End file.
